Ryan Deleo: Studying MMA from home?

Do you feel that self inflicted pressure to keep getting better? To match the people just outside your skillset and then surpass them? That’s normal, don’t worry. But what happens if you are on vacation or sick or even injured? What if you just don’t have time to hit all the classes you want to maintain your growth?

The solution: study MMA from home.

Let’s immediately clarify that this does not replace live sparring or drills. However, there are a lot of resources accessible from anywhere that will broaden your horizons and expose you to how the greats do their thing. There are also practices you can do from home that will help you improve faster once you get back on the mat. Combined with active training, this studying is a great way to progress your skills quickly. How do you think the coaches stay up to date on all the latest moves and techniques?

To give us insight on how to even begin doing this, we asked an expert self-teacher who obsessively studies MMA in his down time. Trust me, I know.

• Ryan, I have watched you spend lots of time studying videos of fights or world renowned instructors explaining techniques. How much time would you say you spend doing this weekly?

  It varies, but anywhere from 10 - 12 hours a week, give or take a few hours. If I am trying to prepare multiple classes worth of curriculum, it can be closer to 20.

  Editor’s note: Yes, he does.

• Have you always done that? How do you feel it has affected your Jiu Jitsu?

  I have always been a 'self directed' learner, so I started on YouTube very early into my jiujitsu career, much to my instructor's dismay. It served me well in the long term though, as I hit a place where I did not have much of a choice but to pursue my own growth.

  In terms of how it affected my jiujitsu, it definitely opened me up to a number of different ways of thinking. There are many different styles in BJJ, and being able to observe all of them allowed me to see the parts they have in common. This helped me make the jump from a 'step by step' learner to a 'conceptual' learner, which is one of the hardest transitions to make in your BJJ career.

• How are you even supposed to study alone, at home, off the mat?

  It really depends on where you are in your martial arts journey, but for beginner to intermediate students, the power of visualization should not be underestimated. There have been several studies on this topic, all which do a better job explaining this than I will, but the key takeaway is that athletes that visualized their success / performance of a technique saw up to a 25% increase in performance compared to those that did not.

  25% is a massive increase in the world of sports, where we are often looking to get 1% better, if not a fraction of a percent better. If you're not utilizing this as a technique, you're leaving a lot of potential progress on the table.

  There are also several studies on skill development and retention that indicate that review right before you go to sleep and right when you wake up will also lead to dramatic gains in performance.

  With those two things in mind, I would recommend the following protocol for anyone that hasn't experimented with these techniques:

  Set a timer for 10 minutes before you go to sleep at night. Give yourself 5 - 10 slow deep breaths to clear your mind and relax, your eyes can be open or closed, whichever you find more calming. 

  Then, start to visualize the technique(s) that we are studying in class. Try to visualize how the instructor performed the movement with as much fidelity as possible, bonus points if you can associate the moment with other sensory cues that were present at the time (sound, the feel of your gi, the odor of the mat, etc.). Any additional cues you can recall will help solidify the memory in your brain. Repeat this process 2 to 3 times or as many as is necessary to solidify it in your mind. 

  Then, picture yourself performing the same technique. It can be from your perspective (like a memory) or like you are observing yourself as a third party.

  Lastly, picture yourself performing the movement in a sparring scenario, with as much detail as you can manage. Be patient, this is a skill like any other and it is very common to get frustrated or distracted. That is okay, continue to breathe and relax and then try again.

  Repeat this process for each technique or until time expires. Repeat the process when you wake and start your day, before any other input (your phone, coffee, etc.). You will be surprised at how much more easily you are able to visualize the technique.

  Bonus: Once you have more experience with visualization, you can look up competition footage of the technique in question, being performed by a high level competitor. Watch the sequence a few times until you can recall it clearly. The next time you perform your visualization exercise, include the clip in your sequence, and then visualize yourself performing the movement as though you were the competitor.

  This is a great way to get ahead, and once you've mastered the basics, you can start to do the same technique with any instructional content you watch.

• Would you recommend this to all students? Why?

  Absolutely.

  It doesn't matter how new, experienced, skilled or unskilled you are. Learning to visualize will help you make quick improvements.

  There is a reason that this sort of practice is a part of the habit stack of the top performers in almost every form of sport. Just don't be surprised if you start having martial arts dreams!

• What resources do you recommend using to study off the mat? How can a person discriminate between what's out there? Are there free options?

  Resources: 

  Journaling / notetaking / sketching (if you have an artistic bent) is a very effective way of cementing your knowledge and making it easier to recall. It gives you a reference before you do your visualization work!

  Journals are cheap, and everyone's phone has a note app. That said, the research indicates that physically writing is more effective for retention than typing.

  YouTube is fantastic, provided you can sort through the BS.

  I recommend following IBJJF, Flograppling, ADCC, B-Team (for CJI footage) and Polaris for pro level match footage. 

  There are many high-level instructors that release clips of instructionals for free on YouTube as well: Lachlan Giles (Submeta), BJJ Fanatics (for John Danaher, Gordon Ryan, Craig Jones, Jason Rao, Brian Glick, Giancarlo Bodoni, etc.), Digitsu, ATOS (Andre Galvao), JFLO for judo and wrestling.

  I could go on, but truthfully that is more than enough for any newbiet. All of it is free.

  Online Courses / Subscriptions / Instructionals:

  The best instructors in the world have a ton of content online, but you're going to have to pay for it. I don't recommend buying instructionals until you've got a solid handle on the basics, as it is very common for students to get martial arts ADD and hinder their own progress. That said, I am a huge believer in instructionals and online learning, so once you're ready, dive in, but buy one thing at a time and focus on that one thing until you've mastered it. Here is a pretty comprehensive list:

  BJJ Fanatics (marketplace)

  Digitsu (marketplace)

  Jiu Jitsu X (marketplace)

  Submeta (subscription)

  JFLO (subscription)

  ATOS Online (subscription)

  There are so many more but these are the big ones I personally endorse. They are also listed in order of quality between marketplaces and subscriptions.

• How much time do you think the average practitioner should spend doing this to see serious improvements?

  Truthfully, you can see notable improvements spending the 20 minutes a day at wake up and before bed.

  That said, it is like anything else, what you get out is proportional to what you put in. It can be hard to balance life, work, family, training, etc.

  Make no mistake, mental work is work, and how you show up to do that work will effect your results (too tired, overstimulated, fatigued, etc.).

  It's important that you find a way to be consistent versus just trying to do more. If you only have 10 minutes of real focus to give, then give those 10 minutes, no more, no less.

  You don't have to turn it into another job to see results. Make it sustainable, make it fun and you'll improve.

• Is there any information about yourself and your style you feel is important to understand before going into this?

  I am definitely more of an 'academically' minded person, so I don't mind if things read or feel like a textbook, however, this can be really offputting to some people.

  Finding instructors that speak your language and in a style you resonate with is really important for your development. It's arguably the most important consideration, just behind the cultural fit and overall trust (in your instructor, your training partners and the organization itself).

• Do you recommend bringing anything you learn into open mat times or is that a good way to get hurt?

  Open mat is a dedicated practice space, and you need to physically practice whatever it is you are trying to learn through videos or books, so absolutely practice what you're trying to learn at open mat. 

  That said, there are some important exceptions: heel hooks and other forms of twisting leg locks should be taught to you by your instructor, or at least when they deem that you are ready to learn them.

  The same thing is true of spinning strikes, flying attacks, and high amplitude throws (suplex, etc.). These techniques are all extremely dangerous, not just to your training partners, but to you as well, and are dangerous even when performed correctly.

  If your instructor has deemed it appropriate for you to learn such techniques, DO NOT perform them on other students that have not started learning them and DO NOT attempt to teach them to other students without your instructor's approval.

  DO NOT perform banned techniques in training, even if you are studying them. Banned techniques examples:

  Jumping guard

  Kani Basami (flying leg scissors or scissors takedown)

  Knee Reap (gi classes / beginner no gi)

  Elbow and knee strikes (without pads)

• Are there at home drills or physical exercises you recommend for serious practitioners?

  Strength, conditioning and mobility work is always recommended, regardless of what the athletic pursuit is, and should be seen as necessary maintenance.

  In terms of solo drills, there are dozens to be found for free on YouTube. BJJ Fanatics also partnered with John Danaher to release a free course on solo drills for use during the pandemic, and it is still available online.

• Is this a good practice for anyone recovering from an injury or taking time off?

  Definitely.

  Studying match and technique footage, visualization, and solo drills are all excellent ways to keep developing during a recovery or rest period.

  We also always encourage injured students to attend class, even if they cannot physically participate, so that they continue to learn and stay engaged.

  It's also important to remember that a lot of the appeal of training is being able to interact with your friends in the community. Injuries can leave you feeling really isolated, so it's important to come in and stay involved, even if you can't do everything you normally would.

• Is there anything you would like to add?

  Learning how YOU learn is a skill, and skill development takes time. Be kind to yourself and give yourself the grace and understanding that life is difficult, messy and sometimes you only have 10 minutes to give. That's okay.

  Unoptimized progress is still progress. Stay the course and remember that the journey is supposed to be hard, but enjoyable.

  If you turn your practice into a chore, it will eventually feel like one.

  If you treat it like a small gift you give yourself, you'll stay engaged and hungry to learn and grateful for having done it.

  Happy training!

If you try some of these suggestions, let us know how it goes, or share some insight you have by emailing info@avlmma.com. We’d love to include it and share it with the community!